Nurse call
A nurse call , also known as nurse call or patient call , is an electro-optical reporting system that is used in nursing in hospitals , hospitals and other care facilities . The basic principle used to this day was designed in the 1880s by the entrepreneur and inventor Alois Zettler .
The nurse call system is intended to enable the patient to call the nursing staff in detail . In principle, a light signal is triggered by a signal transmitter in a sick room at the location of the responsible person or to a nurse's room with the light call by means of electrical signal transmission . Acoustic signals can also be used instead of or in addition to light signals. The pulse that triggers the signal is usually transmitted by an electrical line or by a radio signal . The system must be designed in such a way that the personnel called can determine where the call was triggered. In hospitals, for example, this is indicated by a light burning on the door of the hospital room in question, another solution is a panel attached in the staff's lounge, on which a signal lamp lights up next to the room number, historical systems work with a falling flap that shows a room name be let.
In addition to traditional nurse call systems that only trigger a light signal, many variants have been developed over time that also enable acoustic communication via intercom systems. In addition to nursing, nurse call systems have now become indispensable in many areas, for example in industry , in the areas of telecommunications and telecommunications technology , in air transport and in the military .
Legal classification
For the requirements and the state-of-the-art design, nurse call systems fall within the catchment area of the standards DIN VDE 0834 “Call systems in hospitals, nursing homes and similar facilities” and DIN V VDE V 0825-1 “Wireless personal emergency signal systems for dangerous solo work "and DIN-EN-50131-1 or DIN VDE 0830-1" Guidelines for the installation of alarm systems to achieve compliance with EC directives "as the German version of EN 50131-1: 2006 + A1: 2009" Personal assistance systems ".
Nurse call systems are not medical devices in the sense of the Medical Devices Act , as they are not used for the direct monitoring of patients.
Transmission systems
LON bus
The LON bus system in accordance with ISO ISO / IEC DIS 14908-1 to -4 (only drafts since 2008) is widespread on the wired route, but the international standard has not yet been finally adopted in any of the four parts. According to ISO 14908-2, the modules to be connected are connected via 4 wires in 2 pairs. Two wires are responsible for the power supply, the remaining two wires for the call transmission. IP cabling is taken into account in accordance with ISO 14908-4. A solution according to ISO / IEC 14908-3 with signaling via the power supply is likely to remain incompatible with VDE 0834, at least for the signaling path from the caller, and is therefore rather uneconomical for the signaling path to the individual light signal.
ISO / IEC 14908-1 defines the standard for a transmission protocol. Each module has its own LON number which identifies the module in the system. For the configuration, the type of module and the LON number are written into the CPU to correctly declare the call.
Local bus
Another possibility are proprietary bus systems from various providers. Usually 4 or 8 wires are laid, depending on the manufacturer and product. The wire distribution is basically similar among the providers, only the configuration of the components is different, since the system can be configured completely via a web interface.
IP cabling
Newer systems leave the cabling concepts of conventional telephone technology and use an infrastructure that conforms to international standards for local networking. The VDE 0834 standard requires separate cabling for nurse call signaling so that, for reasons of operational reliability according to the state of the art, independent cabling corresponding to the industrial standards IEEE 802.3 is required.
Wireless solutions
The transfer of the functions of the call buttons to a version that is no longer tied to a cable is not expressly excluded in the VDE 0834 standard and thus also corresponds formally to the recognized state of the art. However, it must be taken into account that the reliable message from the call button also depends on the way in which the user wears or holds it. A suitable solution must also take into account the propagation properties of the respective device transmission frequency.
Module types
The specified variety represents the minimum selection. Other modules relate to the cabling, the functions of the alarm center and others for special adaptation to patients of different risk groups.
The assignment of the modules to the category of medical technology devices is not clearly defined in Germany and Austria according to the Medical Devices Act (MPG for short) . The national implementation of the European Directive 90/385 / EEC for active implantable medical devices, 93/42 / EEC for medical devices leaves the functional distinction open. Medical devices are devices for
- Detecting, preventing, monitoring, treating or alleviating disease;
- Detect, monitor, treat, alleviate or compensate for any injury or disability;
- Investigation, replacement or modification of the anatomical structure or a physiological process;
None of the explicitly mentioned features apply to devices of the patient's expression of will, and therefore to the call modules.
Lamp module
The eye-catching lamp module (room signal light) that gives its name to the system concept of the nurse call systems is the light signal, lamp or light module installed in the hallway or connecting corridor above the door of the individual patient room, which signals the actual call with different colored lamps or LEDs . In modern systems, the "intelligence" of the room is also housed here.
Call module
The call module or bed module is the triggering device for the nurse call. It is usually connected by cable near the bed. It is designed at least as a so-called pear button , i.e. a combination of call button and feedback lamp , the status of which can be reset at least locally by pressing the button again.
Call and presence button or door combination
This module is usually installed near the door in the patient room and is mainly used to acknowledge calls by the nursing staff or to call for further support. The actuation resets the light signal in the hallway or reports an additional request with a color change of the light signal. With newer call systems there is also the option of reporting a medical emergency, which then appears in all rooms in which presence is set and in the ward doctor's room. Sometimes the resuscitation team is requested at the same time. In some systems, the security service can also be alerted. Current alarms are also output via the door combination so that nursing staff who are with the patient can be alerted in an emergency.
Bed module with ancillary plug contact
The bed module is a simple call module without a presence button. The auxiliary plug contact is used to connect a passive device to trigger a call; this can be a tear-off contact , a bed control device , or a diagnostic device .
Wet room module
Used in the sanitary area, this module type is equipped with a pull- cord button or pneumatic button with a contact that does not lead any electrical line to the patient and that does not respond to the push of a button, but to pull or pneumatic actuation with a spring or a hose attached.
Signal buzzer
To improve the perception of the silent light signals, a buzzer is activated when a light call is triggered, which does not support any further localization.
Message panel
In modern solutions, a display device is provided in the nurses' room, which saves the staff having to look for the activated lamp module in the hallway when there is an acoustic signal for the purpose of localization. The display then shows z. B. normal call Z. 3 B. 1 or alarm call Z. 1 WC . At the beginning of the 20th century, a system was common in hotels and private houses in which a small flap fell down and the respective room name or number became visible. The flaps that had fallen down could be raised again by pulling on a reset button.
literature
- Edgar Voges , Klaus Petermann (ed.): Optical communication technology. Handbook for Science and Industry. Springer, Berlin 2002, ISBN 3-540-67213-3 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ DIN VDE 0834-1: 2000-04 Call systems in hospitals, nursing homes and similar facilities - Part 1: Device requirements, installation and operation
- ↑ Monitoring systems - Wireless personal emergency signal systems for dangerous solo work - Part 1: Device and test requirements (pre-standard) ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Alarm systems - intrusion and hold-up alarm systems - Part 1: System requirements ( page can no longer be accessed , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Open Data Communication in Building Automation, Controls and Building Management - Control Network Protocol - Part 2: Twisted Pair Communication ( Memento of the original from January 22nd, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Open Data Communication in Building Automation, Controls and Building Management - Control Network Protocol - Part 4: IP Communication
- ↑ Open Data Communication in Building Automation, Controls and Building Management - Control Network Protocol - Part 3: Power Line Channel Specification ( Memento of the original from August 14, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked . Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Open Data Communication in Building Automation, Controls and Building Management - Control Network Protocol - Part 1: Protocol Stack ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
